Shaft for golf clubs



Patented Apr. 25, 1.939

UNITED STATES SHAFT FOR GOLF CLUBS John Henry Turner, Abingdon, Berkshire, England Application May 24, 1937, Serial No. 144,446 In Great Britain July 29, 1936 2 Claims.

This invention relates to shafts for golf clubs, and has for its object to provide a shaft which in use has a good lail action. The invention more especially relates to shafts in which there is a 5 metal main shaft portion of tubular or like form and seeks to provide a means whereby a shaft comprising such a portion may have increased torsional and/or bending resiliency at the desired place.

According to the present invention a golf club shaft comprises in combination a metal main shaft portion and wooden handle extending lengthwise therefrom and secured thereto, the handle being slitted or drilled longitudinally from l its end remote from the metal shaft to a point lying above the end of the metal shaft portion. Preferably such slit or drill hole accommodates a lling of rubber or other material such as cane or spring steel, and where the handle is slitted it is preferably arranged in the manufacture of the club that the plane of a slit lies substantially parallel to the plane of the playing face of the club, although the slit or slits may be in any direction to suit the player. Various shapes of handles may be used and if desired a plurality of slits provided. Several preferred forms of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 shows a handle incorporating the invention,A having three slits accommodating fillings of rubber;

Figure 2 is a further form showing the lower portion of the metal shaft and the club head;

Figure 3 shows a third form of handle incorporating a plurality of rubber inserts.

In each of the figures the handle of hickory or other suitable wood is indicated at 4 and is secured to the upper conically formed end 5 of a metal golf club shaft of known kind. The handles extend for some distance within the shafts and terminate at 6. The handles are split longitudinally and within the slits are accommodated strips of rubber or spring steel l. In Figure 2 there are shown three such slits l, two of which, the outer ones, terminate above the centre one, whilst in Figure 3 there are shown two rubber strips 1 disposed parallel to each other. The strips l and the slits terminate at 8 which point lies above the end of the shaft 5. The handles are bound at various places 9 to retain the strips 'l in position and to control the resilience of the handle as desired. It will be observed that the handle shown in Figure 1 is tapered both in the upward and downward directions from a central section of maximum cross-sectional area, whilst in Figure 2 the handle is waisted at I0. In Figure 3 the handle is uniformly tapered from the It will be appreciated that in some cases a mi wooden handle may be bored axially to some point above the upper end of the metal shaft 5. Such axial bore may be filled with a rubber or other filling.

In the forms of the invention above described l5 it will be understood that the handles have greater resilience in the region of the rubber inserts, and it is believed that the feature contributes to a good iiail action in a golf club shaft comprising a metal main shaft portion. 20

From the above description it can be readily seen that there has been provided a golf club shaft comprising a long metal portion, a wooden portion extending longitudinally from said metal portion and being secured thereto to form a 25 handle, said wooden portion being provided With a slit extending lengthwise from one end to a predetermined point short of the other end thereof adjacent said metal portion, and a resilient filling accommodated in said slit, whereby increased 30 flexibility of the shaft at the upper end of the handle is obtained to produce a flail action of the shaft during operation of said club.

What I claim is:

1. Agolf club shaft comprising in combination a long metal shaft, a wooden handle having a longitudinal slit therein, said handle extending lengthwise from said shaft and secured thereto, said slit extending from the end of said handle remote from said shaft and terminating at a point spaced 40 from the upper end of the latter, and resilient lling within said slit, said filling being made of spring steel, whereby during operation of said club a flail action of the metal shaft is obtained.

2. A golf club comprising a long metal shaft. 45 a wooden handle extending longitudinally from said metal vshaft and being secured thereto, said handle being provided with a slit, said slit extending lengthwise from one end of said vhandle to a predetermined point short of the other end 5o thereof and adjacent said metal shaft, and a resilient filling accommodated in said slit, whereby increased flexibility of the shaft is obtained by producing through said handle a ail action to said shaft during operation of said club. 55

JOHN HENRY TURNER. 

